Winding apparatus

ABSTRACT

To prevent winding of initial lengths of yarn on a pirn or a yarn spooling core, which initial lengths may be offsize with respect to specifications, an auxiliary thread starting element is located coaxially with the yarn spool core, and an auxiliary thread guiding element controllable by lengths or quality of the thread is located in alignment with the auxiliary thread starting element, to guide the thread first on the starting element and then release the thread to transfer, automatically, to the traverse mechanism to wind the thread on the spooling core. The additional thread starting element and the guide are located at an end of the yarn spool core and the lateral tension of the thread, upon release of the thread from the auxiliary guide, will automatically transfer the thread to the traverse mechanism.

. United States Patent 1191 [111 3,819,123 Luz June 25, 1974 WINDING APPARATUS 3,672,582 6/1972 Allam et al. 242/18 PW Inventor: Rudolf g Switzerland 3,690,577 9/1972 Schroeder 242/18 PW [73] Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Schweiter AG, Primary Examiner-Stanley N. Gilreath Horgen, Switzerland Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Flynn & Frishauf [22] Filed: Dec. 18, 1972 [57] ABSTRACT PP N04 316,009 To prevent winding of initial lengths of yarn on a pirn or a yarn spooling core, which initial lengths may be [30] Foreign Application Priority Data offsize with respect to specifications, an auxiliary J 13 1972 Switzerland 449/72 thread starting element is located coaxially with the yarn spool core, and an auxiliary thread guiding element controllable by lengths or quality of the thread is l C(i1. 15847;: located in alignment with the auxiliary thread Starting [58] F 1d 57/34 TT element, to guide the thread first on the starting elele 0 care ment and then release the thread to transfer, automat- [56 R f d ically, to the traverse mechanism to wind the thread 1 e erences on the spooling core. The additional thread starting UNITED STATES PATENTS element and the guide are located at an end of the 3,065,921 11/1962 Furst 242/ 18 PW yarn spool core and the lateral tension of the thread, 3,166,262 l/1965 Vanneman, Sr. 242/18 PW u o release f the thread from the auxiliary guide, 3,275,252 9/1966 Bolger 242/18 PW will automatically transfer the thread to the waver 3,276,704 10/1966 Pabls 242/18 PW mechanism 3,559,903 2/1971 McDermott et al. 242/18 PW 3,595,490 7/1971 Schnetzer 242/18 PW 11 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures WINDING APPARATUS The present invention relates to spooling machines and more particularly to motor driven spooling machines in which a yarn core is used on which thread or yarn is to be spooled, for example, in the form of pirns, cones, pineapple cones, or the like.

Spooling machines in which yarn or thread is respooled have a thread applied thereto which may be derived directly from yarn conditioning or surface treating machinery, stretching machinery or the like. The initial portions of yarn to be used frequently are not of proper quality or condition, and the desired yarn or thread quality according to specifications may only arise after a certain predetermined starting run or after the thread has passed through the conditioning or converter apparatus. For example, in machines which utilize heat treatment, such as surface texture affecting control apparatus, a certain equilibrium between heat ing and heat loss by the filament must be established in order to provide the necessary uniform twist per unit length.

The initial thread portion, which must be discarded and is notof the desired condition, has previously been removed or subjected to a vacuum by introduction into a vacuum system, until the desired condition of the yarn or filament has been reached, so that it can be spooled on a pirn, cone, or the like. Such apparatus is subject to disturbances, particularly if a plurality of winding elements are connected to the common suction apparatus in which the respective filaments or threads can tangle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a winding or spooling apparatus in which initial and offsize or off-condition yarn lengths can be separated from the proper filament and in which clearly defined winding conditions will be present.

Subject matter of the present invention Briefly, a spooling core has arranged, co-axially therewith and rotatable therewith, an auxiliary thread starting element. An auxiliary thread guide is provided and located with respect to the starting element to guide the thread thereto. The starting element may be located at either end of the core on which the thread is to be wound. The auxiliary thread guide is provided with a movable element which, for initial wind-up, pulls the yarn or thread laterally and on the auxiliary starting element. After the defective or offsize or otherwise undesired lengths of filament has been wound on the starting element, the movable thread guide is retracted to permit the filament to move, under its own tension, to the normal traverse mechanism of the spooling apparatus, so that the spool to be wound will then be formed.

The auxiliary thread guide thus forms an auxiliary thread guide groove, or open eye, which is controlled by suitable control elements to transfer the filament from the auxiliary thread starting element to the main winding core when the proper filament or thread is de* tected, or when such changeover is otherwise con trolled.

The invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective, somewhat schematic view, of a spooling element with the auxiliary spooling body applied to a coner;

FIG. 2 is a highly schematic end view to illustrate control of the auxiliary thread guide and the thread path; and

FIG. 3 is a highly schematic side view of another embodiment of the invention, in which parts not necessary for an understanding of the modification have been omitted.

A spooling machine, only the spindle end of which is shown at 1, holds a number of spindles and suitable drive apparatus, bearings and the like. The spindle end is schematically shown at 2. The free end of the spindle 2 has a spool core 3 pushed thereon to run with the spindle 2. A traverse mechanism including a roller 4 bears against the core 3, and later as the filament or yarn or thread is wound on the core, against the wound filament. The roller 4 is freely rotatable in a bearing secured to an arm 5 of the machine 1. Arm 5 additionally includes the traverse mechanism to guide the thread back and forth for cross winding of the spool on core 3, by moving a thread guiding eye 6 transversely of the core. This much of the machine is standard and may be constructed in accordance with well-known spooling machine principles.

The start thread winding apparatus, in accordance with the present invention, includes an auxiliary winding body 7, which is a spool-like body of circular cross section and which is connected to the spindle 2 by quick release clamping mechanisms 8 located at the free end of the spindle 2. Such a quick release mechanism may, for example, be a ring 8' (FIG. 3) which has a slightly conical outer opening against which a second hand wheel 8" is rotatable on the threaded end of the spindle. By clamping the hand wheel 8" against the inner conical surface of wheel 8', a secure connection between the spindle 2 and the elements 8, 8" is provided, even under vibration or high speed rotation. If necessary, the hand wheel 8" may be split internally so that the conical inner surface of ring 8 will effect tight clamping of wheel 8". against the spindle. Various other types of quick release mechanisms, well known in the art, may be used.

Auxiliary winding body 7 is a generally cylindrical element with a flared outer surface 9, the maximum diameter of which matches the diameter of the core 3, to merge smoothly from a reduced diameter at the left hand (FIG. 1) to that of the core 3. The left hand reduced diameter is, at its farthest edge, formed with a flanged end, projecting thereover to prevent thread from running off, the flange 10 being slit with a thread catch slit 11, as will be explained in detail below.

The auxiliary thread body 7 cooperates with a thread guide notch 12, which is located between the usual thread eye 13 and the wind-up spool. Preferably, eye 13 is located about midway between the length of the core 3, as best seen in FIG. 3, the representation in FIG. 1 being distorted due to the perspective view. The vertical alignment of eye 13 is best seen in FIG. 2; it is approximately perpendicularly below the thread guide notch 12, but slightly offset, such. that the filament F engages the bottom of the notch 12 with a slight tension to the left (in FIG. 2) and axially of the wind-up spool, that is to right in FIG. 1. The filament F will thus be securely retained against the bottom of the notch 12. Upon release from the notch 12 the filament will move under its own tension to be engaged by the thread guide 6 of the traverse mechanism.

The notch 12 is defined by a bottom guide surface 14 formed on a plate-like carrier 15. Carrier 15 is secured to the machine arm and extends therefrom, and is used to mount a movable element 16 which can pivot about a pivot 17. Element 16 is a plate-like member with a pair of projections 21, 22, and a rearward arm 18 forming a control arm to control the position of element 16 by means of a control element 19. Control element 19 may be an electrical or mechanical timing element for automatic resetting of the pivoting plate 16. One of the projections 21 of plate 16 forms one side of notch 12. The other projection of the element 16 is formed as a thread catch groove 22 and is located between the thread eye 13 and the region A (FIG. 1) of the core, which region is provided for a so-called reserve winding on the core 3.

Operation To wind on the apparatus, a core 3 is applied to the spindle and then the auxiliary winding element 7 is placed on the spindle, and the quick release clamp 8 is secured. The filament F is then threaded through eye 13 and into the thread guide groove 12, defined by a projecting shoulder on plate and the movable projection 21. Spindle 2 is started and the thread is held against flange 10. The thread catching slit 11 will grip the end of the filament, which will start to spool on the auxiliary winding body 7. When the filament has reached proper condition, for example size, as indicated by visual inspection of automatically, a push button 20 in control element 19 is pressed inwardly, mechanically or electrically, and motion is transferred over arm 18 to the switch-over plate 16 which will rotate in clockwise direction. This removes projection 21 from one side of the guide groove 12 and, on the other hand, moves the catch projection 22 to project over the thread guide edge 14. The filament F will be pulled into the chain dotted position indicated at F by its own tension, and will move up the sloping inclined surface of auxiliary body 7 to the initial yarn winding zone A on the core 3. Projection 22 will retain the filament F at the zone A where a reserve winding will accumulate. After a predetermined time, for example, after 3 seconds, a timing element inherent in or separate from control element 19 will reset the control element to the position in full lines (from the chain dotted position it has previously had, see FIG. 1) and thus release the thread from edge guidance on the surface 14, so that the filament will assume the position F and will be caught in eye 6 of the traverse mechanism. Eye 6 then will take over guidance of the filament F" and cause crossed winding thereof on the core 3, as well known in the art.

The apparatus is simple and yet permits precise control of the filament. Various modifications and changes may be made. For example, a yarn sensing head circuit (FIG. 2) can be interposed in the path of the yarn to provide an output 31 which is applied to an electrical control element 19, for example, a solenoid winding, to energize the control element 19 and move it from the solid line position shown in FIG. 1 to the position in which the end hook 22 is placed in the chain dotted position when yarn of proper quality passes by the sensing head 30. Simultaneously, a timer 32 is energized to time the wind-up of the yarn (assuming relatively constant speed thereof) so that the reserve winding will accumulate in Zone A. After this predetermined time has been counted, for example, several seconds, the timer 32 provides a pulse to the electrical winding 19 to reset the button 20 in the position shown in FIG. 1, thus releasing the filament to snap over and be caught by the traverse control eye 6. Rather than utilizing a timer 2, a thread length measurement device may also be used such as a counter connected to the spindle 2 and counting the number of revolutions thereof, as a measure of the amount of thread being wound on the reserve winding. This counter may be electrical or mechanical. The thread sensing head 30, itself, is well known and various types may be used to sense thread or yarn characteristics and indicating by an output signal that they meet specifications.

The auxiliary winding element 7 can be arranged on either side of the core 2. FIG. 3 illustrates placement of winding element 7 at the inner end, adjacent the machine, formed with a flange 10' which can be used to locate the auxiliary winding element 7 of the spindle. Winding element 7 may, in this embodiment, be fixed to the spindle since only the core 3 need be released and any suitable type of end release mechanism, well known in the art, can be used. The traverse of the thread guiding eye 6 is indicated by the double arrow 6 to form a cross wound spool on the core 3. The body 7, or, as shown in FIG. 3, the auxiliary body 7, may be formed with a longitudinally axially extending slit or groove 25 to permit ready removal of the excess scrap windings on the auxiliary thread starting element or body 7', by using the groove as a guide to cut the thread, for example, with a razor blade. Alternatively, the thread starting element may be formed of slightly compressible material, or with an axially extending slit, so that upon removal of the body (FIG. 1) it can be slightly compressed to permit easy removal of any yarn wound thereon. In such construction the flange 10 may be separable from the body 7.

If the main cone or spool need not have a reserve winding, then the movable lever arm 16 can be formed with only a single projection 21 to define the auxiliary guide groove and the second or catch projection 22 can be omitted. Thus, after release of the projection by movement of plunger 20 to the right (FIG. 1), the filament F will move directly from a solid line position to the broken line position F" to be caught in the traverse guide 6.

Various other changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the inventive concept and any embodiments described in connection with any one of the figures can be used with any one of the others.

It is also possible to move the thread out of the thread guide groove 12, for example, by means of a fork; in a preferred embodiment, however, the thread guide groove is formed as a notch, as shown in FIG. 1, and one side of the notch is made movable, that is, formed by the pivoting plate-like element 16 having projection 21. This rocking plate is reliable and easily made; the base of the thread guiding notch is then formed by region or zone of the thread guide edge 14 of the carrier element for the entire mechanism itself, so that the thread can slip laterally, under its own tension, upon release from the full line position to the chain dotted and eventuallydashed positions illustrated in FIG. 1 at F, F", respectively. The modification illustrated in connection with FIG. 3 in which the auxiliary thread starting element 7' is located at the spindle end is particularly suitable to spool cross-wound cones on core 3.

I claim:

1. Winding apparatus comprising a spindle (2) adapted to have a core sleeve (3) placed thereover on which thread (F) is to be wound;

a thread guiding eye (13) located to guide thread (F) to the spindle;

traversing thread guide means (6) located to guide thread from the eye (13) to be wound on the core;

an auxiliary spool-like thread starting element (7, 7 secured to the spindle to rotate therewith, located axially adjacent the core sleeve, and having a diameter adjacent the core sleeve which matches that of the core sleeve; an auxiliary thread guiding means (15, 16) located between the thread guiding eye (13) and the auxiliary thread starting element (7, 7 and having a movable edge means formed to define a thread guide groove (12), the position of said edge means and thus of said groove (12) being movable to shift the position of the groove (12) axially with respect to the thread starting element; control means (19, shifting the edge means defining the guide groove (12) from a position guiding the thread from the eye (13) towards the spool-like auxiliary thread starting element (7, 7) to said traversing guide means (6);

and thread condition sensing means sensing thread characteristics connected to said control means (19, 20) to control the position thereof and winding of the thread (F), selectively, on the auxiliary spool-like starting element (7, 7), or on the core sleeve (3), in accordance with sensed thread condition.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the auxiliary thread starting element (7, 7 has one end portion having a diameter matching the diameter of the core sleeve (3) located adjacent said core, the other end portion being of smaller diameter;

and an intermediate transition portion (9) smoothly connecting said end portions.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein a flange (10) is formed at the end of the smaller end portion of said auxiliary thread starting element; and a thread catching slit (11) is formed in the flange.

4. Apparatus according to claim '1 wherein the spindle projects from a frame (1) and the auxiliary thread starting element (7) is located at the free end of the spindle;

and quick release means (8) are provided locating the auxiliary thread starting element (7) on the spindle.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the spindle is rotatably retained in a frame (1) and the auxiliary hread starting element (7 is located on the spindle between the core sleeve (3) and said frame (1).

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said auxiliary thread guiding means includes a movable abutment element (16) forming one edge means defining the thread guiding groove (12).

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the auxiliary thread guiding means includes a support element (15) having a thread guiding surface (14) forming the bottom of the thread guiding groove, said groove being notched shaped.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the auxiliary thread guiding means includes a support element (15), the abutment element (16) being movable supported on the support element;

and a thread guiding surface (14) is located on the support element, the abutment element projecting beyond said thread guide surface to form, together with said surface, a thread guiding notch.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the abutment element comprises a rocker plate (16) having two projections alternately projectable from said thread guide surface (14), one projection (21) forming a side edge of the groove and the other projection forming a retaining hook (22), said hook being located with respect to the core sleeve (3) to cause the thread to wind, without traverse, at the end of the core sleeve and form a thread reserve winding thereon.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said control means (19, 20) is operatively connected to said movable abutment element (16) and moves the projections of said abutment element between a projecting position and a retracting position;

and timing means (32) controlling the operation of said control means (19, 20) and, therefore, the time of projection of said retaining hook (22), and subsequent release of the thread to the traversing thread guide means (6) to wind a predetermined thread reserve winding during the time of said timing means.

11. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said con trol means (19, 20) is operatively connected to said movable abutment element (16) and moves said abutment element between a projecting position and a retracted position;

the thread condition sensing means (30) controlling the operation of said control means (19, 20) and, therefore, the duration of projection of said abutment element and hence winding of thread on the auxiliary starting element (7, 7 

1. Winding apparatus comprising a spindle (2) adapted to have a core sleeve (3) placed thereover on which thread (F) is to be wound; a thread guiding eye (13) located to guide thread (F) to the spindle; traversing thread guide means (6) located to guide thread from the eye (13) to be wound on the core; an auxiliary spool-like thread starting element (7, 7'') secured to the spindle to rotate therewith, located axially adjacent the core sleeve, and having a diameter adjacent the core sleeve which matches that of the core sleeve; an auxiliary thread guiding means (15, 16) located between the thread guiding eye (13) and the auxiliary thread starting element (7, 7'') and having a movable edGe means formed to define a thread guide groove (12), the position of said edge means and thus of said groove (12) being movable to shift the position of the groove (12) axially with respect to the thread starting element; control means (19, 20) shifting the edge means defining the guide groove (12) from a position guiding the thread from the eye (13) towards the spool-like auxiliary thread starting element (7, 7'') to said traversing guide means (6); and thread condition sensing means (30) sensing thread characteristics connected to said control means (19, 20) to control the position thereof and winding of the thread (F), selectively, on the auxiliary spool-like starting element (7, 7''), or on the core sleeve (3), in accordance with sensed thread condition.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the auxiliary thread starting element (7, 7'') has one end portion having a diameter matching the diameter of the core sleeve (3) located adjacent said core, the other end portion being of smaller diameter; and an intermediate transition portion (9) smoothly connecting said end portions.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein a flange (10) is formed at the end of the smaller end portion of said auxiliary thread starting element; and a thread catching slit (11) is formed in the flange.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the spindle projects from a frame (1) and the auxiliary thread starting element (7) is located at the free end of the spindle; and quick release means (8) are provided locating the auxiliary thread starting element (7) on the spindle.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the spindle is rotatably retained in a frame (1) and the auxiliary hread starting element (7'') is located on the spindle between the core sleeve (3) and said frame (1).
 6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said auxiliary thread guiding means includes a movable abutment element (16) forming one edge means defining the thread guiding groove (12).
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the auxiliary thread guiding means includes a support element (15) having a thread guiding surface (14) forming the bottom of the thread guiding groove, said groove being notched shaped.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the auxiliary thread guiding means includes a support element (15), the abutment element (16) being movable supported on the support element; and a thread guiding surface (14) is located on the support element, the abutment element projecting beyond said thread guide surface to form, together with said surface, a thread guiding notch.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the abutment element comprises a rocker plate (16) having two projections alternately projectable from said thread guide surface (14), one projection (21) forming a side edge of the groove and the other projection forming a retaining hook (22), said hook being located with respect to the core sleeve (3) to cause the thread to wind, without traverse, at the end of the core sleeve and form a thread reserve winding thereon.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said control means (19, 20) is operatively connected to said movable abutment element (16) and moves the projections of said abutment element between a projecting position and a retracting position; and timing means (32) controlling the operation of said control means (19, 20) and, therefore, the time of projection of said retaining hook (22), and subsequent release of the thread to the traversing thread guide means (6) to wind a predetermined thread reserve winding during the time of said timing means.
 11. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said control means (19, 20) is operatively connected to said movable abutment element (16) and moves said abutment element between a projecting position and a retracted position; the thread condition sensing means (30) controlling the operation of said control means (19, 20) and, therefore, the duration of projection oF said abutment element and hence winding of thread on the auxiliary starting element (7, 7''). 